Manufacture of metal bars or rails



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No. 406,946. I Patented July 16, 1889.

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No. 406,946. Patented July 16,1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

EDWIN NOnTON AND J HN G. llODGSON, or MAYWOOI), AssIeNoRs To sAII)NORTON, AND OLIVER w. NORTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MANUFACTURE OF METAL BARS OR RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,946, dated July16,1889.

Application filed April 11, 1889.

To all whom, it Duty concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWIN NORTON and JOHN G. IIoDesoN, citizens of theUnited States, residing in Maywood, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art ofManufacturing Metal Bars or Rails, of which the following is aspecification.

By the method or process heretofore generally in use for manufacturingrailroad-rails and other metal bars the molten metal is first cast intoan ingot, which is then reheated and rolled and rerollcd until reducedto the required size and shape. By this method the molten metal is notsubjected to compression in the mold while it is in the act of setting,though it is well known to those skilled in the art that the compressingof the molten or setting metal while it is yet in the fluid or settingstat-e tends to greatly improve the character and quality of the steelproduced and to give the castings oringots a very dense, solid, andhomogenous structure; and where, as heretofore, the metal is cast in aclosed mold confined on all sides, excepting at the top or runner, airor gases confined in the molten metal have little opportunity to escape,so that itis difficult in this way to produce an ingot entirely freefrom air-holesand imperfections. The rolling and rerolling to shape ofthe finished bar or rail tends to densify the metal to a greater or lessextent; but this rolling operation does not entirely remove the flaws orimperfections produced in the ingot at the time it is cast. Themanufacture of metal bars or rails by this old process also involvesconsiderable time, labor, and expense in the several steps of theprocess, and requires an extensive and costly plant of machinery.

The object of our invention is to provide a more simple and expeditiousmethod or process of manufacturing metal bars or rails, one whereby themolten metal will be compressed or subjected to pressure while it isstill in the fluid or setting state-,whcreby the air or gases in themetal will be free to es cape therefrom as the metal is compressed andset, so as to thus densif y and improve the quality of the metal, renderit-free from flaws,

Serial No. 806,863. (No model.)

air-holes, or imperfections, and of a solid and homogeneous structure,and thereby increase the strength, durability, and wearing qualities ofthe rails or bars produced.

Our invention consists in the method or process which we employ toaccomplish this result-that is to say, it consists in pouringacontinuous stream of molten metal from a suitable vessel andsimultaneously compressing, setting, and shaping the metal byitscontactwith chilling and compressing surfaces or rolls, which confine orsurround the stream on all sides as it passes such continuouslymovingchilling surfaces or rolls. The chilling surfaces or rolls which shape,compress, and set the metal, and thus convert the molten stream of metalinto a metal bar or rail,travel or move at the same surface speed as thevelocity of the flowing stream of molten ,metal, so that the moltenmetal will not dam up or collcct between the rolls, and so that themolten metal or bar produced will come in contact with the rolls orchilling-surfaces 'only at a single point, so to speak, at atimc.

By our invention the ,metal bars or rails, it will be thus seen, areproduced directly from the molten metal, and without first casting themetal into an ingot and heating and rolling and rerolling it; and as themolten metal is poured in a continuous solid stream into what may betermed a continuously revolving or traveling metal chilling andcompressing mold, which comes in contact with only one point, or a verylimited length of the metal stream or bar at a time, and is continuouslytraveling in the same direction with the stream or bar, point afterpoint in the Whole length of the metal stream or bar coming successivelyin contact with this traveling or revolving compressing and chillingmold, the metal bars or rails are of course produced in continuouslengths, and the process or operation is continuous so long as thestream of metal flows.

In practicing our invention the molten metal is poured in a continuoussolid stream, from a suitable bowl or pouring-vessel, between a seriesof rolls, preferably four in number,whaving their axes arranged in thesame horizontal plane and having a pocket or space between theirperipheries at their common -meeting point for the reception of thestream of molten metal, so that the streamof molten metal, as it passesbetween the rolls, will be compressed by the wedgiug act-ion of therolls and the molten metal at the same time-chilled The rolls are madehollow and-tilled with water, which is made to constantly flow throughthem, so as to keep them cool or at the proper temperature for chillingor setting the stream of molten metal as it flows between the rolls. Thepen r- 7 ing bowl or nozzle is arranged directly over the commonmeeting-point. of the series of rolls, so that the stream of moltenmetal will flow. in a direction tangential to all the rolls.

Each 'roll thus comes inv contactwith the stream of molten metal, orwith the metalbar V ming up in the space between the rolls.

produced, only at a single point, so to speak, of its periphery at atime, thus' making it practicable to'easily keep the rolls cool, or at aproper temperature for chilling -or set-tin g the stream of molten metalas it passes between the rolls. The rolls are revolved at a sufficientlygreat'surface speed, in respect to the velocity of the stream of moltenmetal andin respect to the space between the rolls or the size of thebar being produced, as to prevent the molten metal collecting or damthusprevent a large surface-contact between the molten metal and thechilling-rolls, which would tend to heat the rolls rapidly and render itditficult to keep them cool or at the proper temperature, on the onehand, and which, on the other hand, would tend to chill or set themolten metal before it reaches the meeting line or plane joining theaxes of the rolls, and where the passage between them is mostcontracted, thus subjecting the apparatus to greater strain andrequiring greater force to revolve the rolls, and interfering, to agreater or less extent, with the proper compression of the metal whilevet in a molteaor setting state. r

By'employing a series of rollsthe fluid or setting-stream of metalpassing between the rolls is compressed-onall sides, thus densifying orcompressing the metal by the wedging actionof the rolls, and thisdensifying or compressing action of the rolls upon the metal aids insolidifying or settingthe molten metal, as well as to greatly improvethe quality of the steel or metal bar produced. The compress ing androlling action of the rolls upon the fluid or setting stream of metalpassing between the rolls also tends to give the'mctal bar a superiortexture, grain, or fiber, and thereby to increase the strength of thebar produced. 7

Our process in its most "improveduor perfected form also consists inpouring a stream of molten metal and simultaneously compressing,setting, and shaping it into a bar, 6- and then further rolling ndfinishing the bar as it is produced andwhile-still at a high heat. Inpracticing this latter feature of our invention we preferably arrangedirectly belVe .tween the first seriesof rolling, chilling, and

compressing rolls or molds a second series of revolving rolls, whichserve to further chill, 7o

compress, shape, and roll the rail or bar asit issues. The continuousrail or bar produced is delivered from this second. series of rolls byanintermediate curved passage or conveyer, consisting, preferably, of aseries of rolls arranged. in a curve- As the rail or bar is conveyed outhorizontally, it may, while still hot, be passed through finishing andstraightening rolls andfurther rolled to a greater or less extent, asmay be desired. 89

. -In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, we have shown at Figure 1 a plan view 'of an apparatusembodying four convergent rolls suitable for use in practicing ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a cen- S5 tral horizontal section taken through theaxes of the rolls. Fig.3 is avertical section taken in the line 3 3 onFig. l. The section of Fig.

2 is indicated on Fig. 3 by the line 2 2. Fig.

4 is a side elevation, partly in section, show- 90 ing the horizontalconveyer and intermediate curved conveyer for receiving the rail or baras it issues from the series of rolls. I Similar letters of referenceindicate like parts in-all the figures.

' In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine, on which isjournaled a series of rolls B, preferably four in number, revolvingtogether and having their peripheries shaped or grooved to form apassage or way bbetween loo them to receive the stream of -moltcn metalas it flows down from the pouring bowl or nozzle C.

As indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, the working ormeet-ing faces or 105. peripheries of the rolls B are given a shape orconfiguration to form an'ordinary railroadrail. They may, however, beshaped to givethe space or passage 11 any desired 'cross-section, andthus produce a bar of any form reno quir'cd. The rolls B have beveledfaces I), which meet or roll against each. other and serve as stops forthe several rolls against each'other, that the space or passage b for lalways be maintained of a uni- ['15 form size, and thus produce the railor bar of a uniform cross section throughout. The rolls B are each, madehollow, and preferably with a central web B, and the shafts'B are alsomade hollow, so that the water or other '120 cooling fluid or liquid maybe made to circnlate through each of the rolls for the purpose ofkeeping them cool or of the desired temperature. The hollow shafts B areeach furnishcd with a packing or stuffing box (I at as each end,by whichthey are connected with the inlet and outlet water-pipes 1) D. The

.pouring bowl or vessel 0 is supported by any 7 of the rolls are allgeared together, so that they revolve or roll together at the samesurface speed. The gearing employed may preferably be bevel-gears, suchas indicated at B Two of the shafts B are also geared together byspur-gears B. E is the driving-shaft, having a gearE, which meshes witha gear E 011 one of the shafts B The pouring bowl or nozzle O isfurnished with a guide or shield 0, extending down to near themeeting-point of the rolls. This is designed to prevent the metal fromsplattering at the beginning of thepon ring operation. i A greater orless number of rolls than four may be employed.

F represents a second series of rolls arranged, preferably, directlybelow the chilling-rolls 13, and between which the bar 00 passes as itissues from the chilling-rolls B. The series of rolls F are preferablyof the same form and construction as the rolls B, hei nghollow andhaving the same connections for passing water through them, so that theymay operate as chilling-rolls as well as to further roll, compress, andfinish the rail or bar produced. The rolls F may, howevcr,be of anyordinary or known construction. The series of rolls F is preferably,like the series B, composed of four rolls revolving together.

G is a curved guide or conveyer consisting, preferably, of a series ofrolls or idle-pulley wheels, arranged in a curved path to curve andguide the bar as it issues from the rolls F to the horizontal conveyeror series of rolls Il. 'Some of the rolls H are preferably driven andoperate to further roll and straighten the rail or bar as "well as toconvey it along or a ay. The curved guide G also afiords some slack inthe rail or bar between the chilling-rolls and rolls H H to compensatefor diiferencein speed or slipping.

\Ve claim 1. The process of manufacturing metal bars directly frommolten metal, consisting in pouring a continuous stream of molten metaland compressing, setting, and shaping the metal on all sides into a barby contact with continuously-moving chilling and compressing surfaces orrolls traveling at an equal or greater surface speed than the velocityof the flowing stream of metal, substantially asspecified.

2. The process of manufacturing metal bars directly from molten metal,consisting in pouring a continuous stream of molten metal and compressig, Setting, and shaping the metal on all sides into a bar by contactwithcontinuously-moving chilling and compressing surfaces or rolls travelingat an equal or greater surface speed than the velocity of the flowingstream of metal, and then rolling the bar as it issues and while stillat a high heat, substantially as specified.

3. The process of manufacturing metal bars directly from molten metal,consisting in pouring a continuous stream of molten metal between aconverging series of continuouslyrevolving chilling-rolls revolvingtogether and surrounding the passing stream on all sides, and thuscompressing, setting, and shaping the constantly-moving stream into abar or rail, substantially as specified.

4. The process of manufacturing metal bars directly from molten metal,consisting in pouring a continuous stream of molten metal between aconverging series of continuouslyrevolving ehillingrolls revolvingtogether and surrounding the passing stream on all sides, and thuscompressing, setting, and shaping the constantlymoving stream into a baror rail, and then further rolling the bar as it is-.

sues and while still at a high heat, substantially as specified.

5. The process of manufacturing metal bars directly from molten metal,consisting in pouring a continuous stream of molten metal directlydownward between continuously-revolving chilling-rolls, and therebycompressing, setting, and shaping the metal stream into a bar, thendeflecting or curving the hot bar as it issues in a horizontaldirection,-and

finally rolling and straightening it while it is still hot,substantially as specified.

EDWIN NORTON.

' JOHN G. HODGSON.

Witnesses:

EDW. S. EVARTS, H. M. MUNDAY.-

